Tesco names product officer Tarry as new UK boss after Wilson illness

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's biggest supermarket Tesco said its UK and Ireland boss Charles Wilson would be replaced by group chief product officer Jason Tarry after Wilson was diagnosed with cancer.

Long-time Tesco employee Tarry will become CEO of the UK and Republic of Ireland business, reporting to Tesco CEO Dave Lewis, while his previous role as group chief product officer was handed to Andrew Yaxley, the boss of the Ireland unit.

Tesco said in a statement on Tuesday that Wilson, the well-respected former CEO of wholesaler Booker which was bought by Tesco in March, has been responding well to radiotherapy and that the signs were that the treatment has been successful.

Tesco said that to help with Wilson's recovery his responsibilities would narrow to a focus on leading the Booker business and delivering the cost synergies and growth plans envisaged from the combination of Booker with Tesco.

He will continue to report to Lewis.

The reshuffle of Tesco's top management team comes at a time of change in Britain's supermarket sector as Tesco faces losing its long-held number one spot in the UK to second-ranked Sainsbury's which agreed to buy Wal-Mart owned Asda, the number three player in April.

Tesco said the changes would be effective from July 16.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton)